Transport crate

ABSTRACT

A crate for the transportation of goods has a prismatic shell with a side opening closable by a pliable door which can be rolled or folded about an edge of that opening and which includes a series of transversely spaced, parallel stays interconnected by a flexible sheet. The ends of the stays and/or the edges of the sheet can be engaged by a variety of detents, disposed along opposite sides of the opening, to hold the door locked.

United States Patent [50] Field of Search 220/l.5, 24;

(56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,581,689 4/1926 Perin 220/l.5 X FOREIGN PATENTS 100,003 9/1959 Denmark 220/24 PrimaryExaminer-George T. Hall An0rneyKarl F. Ross ABSTRACT: A crate for thetransportation of goods has a prismatic shell with a side openingclosable by a pliable door which can be rolled or folded about an edgeof that opening and which includes a series of transversely spaced,parallel stays interconnected by a flexible sheet. The ends of the staysand/or the edges of the sheet can be engaged by a variety of detents,disposed along opposite sides of the opening, to hold the door locked.

[72] Inventors Allred Lohr;

l-lelmut llemmann; Hartmut Bussewitz; Gunter Leonhardt, all of Herborn,Germany; Carl H. Schroter, Dillenburg; Helmut Lukas, Bicken, both of,Germany [2|] Appl. No. 849,417

[22] Filed Aug. 12, X969 [45} Patented July 6, 1971 [73] Assignee BurgerEisenwerke Aktiengesellschaft Herborn, Germany [32] Priority Aug. 3],1968, Aug. 24, 1968, Feb. 24, 1969, Feb. 20, 1969 [33] Germany [3]] P 1786 209.8. p l7 86 159.5.

P 19 09 124.8 and (i 69 06 597.

[54] TRANSPORT CRATE 16 Claims, 18 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 220/l.5, 220/24 [51] Int. Cl 565d 87/00 PATENTEU JUL e mm3,591, 034

sum 1 or 4 Alfred L'rihr Helmuf Hemmann Harfmuf Bussewifz GijnferLeonhard? Carl H. Schrb'fer Helmuf Lukas INVENTORS.

Attorney mm) m sum 3591; 034

SHEU Q [If 4 INVENTORSQ Alfred Lohr Helmuf Hemmann Harfmuf BussewifzGUmer Leonhard? Carl H. Schr'o'fer He/mu'r Lukas ma j'ittomey TRANSPORTCRATE Our present invention relates to a crate for the transportation ofcontainerized goods, particularly (but not exclusively) via air freight.

The general object of our invention is to provide a crate adapted to bereused an indefinite number of times by being fitted with a door forloading and unloading purposes.

A more specific object, allied with the preceding one, is to provide acrate in which the door in its position of closure doubles as astructural wall to strengthen the unit against shear and compression.

These objects are realized, pursuant to our invention, by the provisionof a prismatic shell of suitable structural material (e.g. wood, lightmetal or synthetic resin) having at least the major part of a side ofthe prism removed to form a generally rectangular opening. An at leastpartly pliable door, including several stays which are parallel to oneedge of the opening and are interconnected by flexible link means suchas a polymeric sheet, is secured to the shell in the vicinity of thatedge so as to be swingable thereabout into a withdrawn position outsidethe shell shell; in an advantageous embodiment, and as more fullydescribed hereinafter, this edge forms an upper boundary of the openingso as to enable the withdrawn door to be rolled or folded up on top ofthe shell. To lock the door in a position of closure obstructing theopening, certain parts thereof (such as the ends of the stays and/or theedges of the sheet) can be engaged by retaining means disposed alongopposite edges of the door transverse to the first-mentioned edge, thusalong the vertical boundary of the door opening in the preferredembodiment described above.

With the ends of the stays bearing upon these opposite edges in theclosed position of the door, their presence prevents any crushing of theshell during transportation and handling by forces acting longitudinallyof the stays, i.e. horizontally in the preferred case.

In the transverse (i.e. vertical) direction, compressive stresses can beabsorbed by a pair of jambs flanking the door opening and constitutingabutments for the stays, these jambs advantageously forming part of theretaining means serving to hold the door closed. A variety of detentscan be used for this purpose, such as swingable or shiftable bars,strips or similar elements extending generally parallel to these jambs.

Part of the door, according to another feature of our invention, may beconstituted by a rigid panel hinged to, preferably, the upper edge ofthe opening and adapted to be placed in a swung-out position above thatopening, the pliable remaining door portion with its stays and sheetbeing then supported in a rolled-up state on the swung-out panel.

These and otherfeatures of our invention will be described in greaterdetail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of a crate provided with a pliabledoor according to our invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the crate shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing a modified door consistingof a rigid panel and a pliable portion secured thereto;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the panel of FIG. 3 in aswung-out position with the pliable door portion supported thereon;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line V V of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view, drawn to a larger scale, of adoor jamb provided with retaining means for holding the door of FIG. 1or 3 in its position of closure;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, illustrating an alternate positionof the retaining means;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line VIII VIII of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIGS. 6 and 7, illustrating a dif ferenttype of retaining means;

FIG. I0 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line X -X of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is another view generally similar to FIGS. 6 and 7, illustratinganother modified retaining means;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line XII -XII of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a front-elevational view, again drawn to a larger scale, ofthe lower left-hand comer of the crate of FIG. 1 or 3 with its flexiblesheet removed;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line XIV -XIV of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 13, illustrating a modification;

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the pliable door in arolled-up state; I

FIG. 17 is an enlarged sectional detail view of the portion of FIG. 16inside circle XVII; and

FIG. 18 is a view similar to FIG. 17, showing a modified construction.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 we have shown a crate formed by a prismatic shell 1with an open side which, in FIG. 1, is closed by a pliable door 2 hingedto the shell I at the upper edge 3] of its door opening. The lateralboundaries of this opening are formed by a pair ofjambs ll bracketingthe door 2 in its position of closure. This door is formed, as best seenin FIG. 5, by a series of transversely spaced horizontal stays 9, shownas metallic tubes, which are interconnected by a sheet 8 of rubber orother flexible polymeric material cemented or otherwise secured thereto.Diagonal reinforcing straps 18, indicated diagrammatically in FIG. 1,may be imbedded in the sheet 8.

Suitable retaining means, as more fully described hereinafter withreference to FIGS. 6 l5, are provided along the jambs 11 to hold thedoor closed. Upon deactivation of these retaining means, the door 2 canbe rolled up about the edge 31 of shell 1 and stored on the roof of theshell or, as illustrated in FIG. 2, on special supports such as fingers4 which are normally retracted (dot-dash line) and can be pulled out toengage, say, the extremities of stays 9 projecting beyond the sheet 8.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a shell 1' may be provided with amodified door 2' including a rigid upper portion or panel 5 and apliable lower portion 6, of the same construction as door 2 in FIGS. 1and 2, depending from the lower edge of that panel when the door isclosed. To hold the door open, panel 5 may be swung upwardly about itshinges 32 (FIG. 4) and may be held aloft by braces 7 which are pivotedto the jambs ll of shell 1 inside the door opening; as indicated indotted line at 33, these jambs may be undercut to accommodate the panel5 in its closed position. The pliable door portion 6 can then be rolledup on the panel 5 forming a supporting shelf therefor.

FIG. 3 also illustrates a rigid bottom strip 21 which, as more fullydescribed hereinafter with reference to FIG. 15, includes a pair ofdetents 20 designed to lock the door 2' in its closed position with theaid of a handle 22.

FIGS. 6 8 show a portion of the left-hand jamb ll of FIG. 1 (alsorepresentative of the corresponding jamb 11' in FIG. 3) which, as bestseen in FIG. 8, is designed as a channel rail embracing the front edgeof the corresponding sidewall of crate l. Jamb 11 is formed with aseries of longitudinally (i.e. vertically) spaced notches or recesses 13which are open toward the front and which accommodate gudgeons 15constituting reduced extremities of corresponding stays 9. A locking bar10 is slidably held within jamb 11, with the aid of a rib 34, and isformed with a series of cutouts l2 registering with the notches 13 inthe position of FIG. 6 to enable the gudgeons 15 to be withdrawn fromand reintroduced into these notches. when the bar 10 is lowered, asillustrated in FIGS. 7and 8, its cutouts 12 are offset from notches 13to lock the gudgeons in place.

An alternate locking mechanism is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 whereina modified jamb lla has a single vertical recess 13a overlain by alocking bar when the latter is in its position of closure. A stud 35,fixed to jamb 11a and penetrating an inclined slot 14 in bar 10a enablesthat bar to be withdrawn in a downward and outward direction (arrow 50),thus generally transversely to the major dimension of the jamb, torelease the gudgeons lSa of all the stays 9a received in the recess orrabbet 13a of jamb 110. When the bars 10a of the two jambs lla are movedtoward each other to relock the door, grooves 36 thereof accommodate theedges of the sheet 811 which (in contradistinction to the assembly ofFIG. 8) has a width slightly less than the length of each stay 9a withits extremities 1150. The bars 10a may be held in their locking positionby frictional engagement with stud 35, it being understood that severalsuch studs should be provided at different levels (together withcorresponding slots 14) to ensure parallel guidance of each bar.

In FIGS. 11 and 12 we have shown a retaining element in the form ofclamping bar 16 hinged at 37 to a jamb Mb. The pliable door portion, inthis case, includes stays 9b without terminal gudgeons and a sheet 8bextending laterally beyond these stays, the projecting edges of thesheet 8b being clamped between respective bars 116 and ribs 38 of jamb11b. To lock each bar 16 in its clamping position, a hook 17 on a slider10b engages a mating profile 39 on bar 16 from which it can be releasedby a vertical motion of the slider to align the hook 17 with a cutout 40(FIG. ill) in profile 39. It will be understood that the sliders l0,llila, 10b of FIGS. 6 -l2 may be accessible from the top of the shell tocontrol their displacement.

Instead of being imbedded in the sheet 8, as illustrated in FIG. 5, thestraps 18 may also be laminated or otherwise secured to the rear surfacethereof. In either case, the upper and lower ends of the strap willpreferably be led away from the sheet, with the upper ends anchored tothe top of the shell either directly (FIG. ll) or through theintermediary of panel (FIG. 3) and the lower ends secured to the bottomstay 9' (FIG. 13) or to the aforementioned bottom strip 21 (FIG. 15). Asshown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the slider may be provided at its lower end 19with an undercut 12' to accommodate the gudgeon of stay 9', this gudgeonbeing withdrawable through a cutout 13 in jamb ll upon upward withdrawalof slider 10 to release the other stays. With the two sliders l0 bearingdown by their enlarged portions 11 upon the respec tive gudgeons 15',straps 11B are tensioned to stretch the pliable door portion and toimprove the seal along its edges.

In FIG. ll5, the rigid bottom strip 21 replaces the stay 9 of thepreceding embodiment and accommodates the locking rods which arereceivable in bores 40 of the respective door jambs (Ill or ill). Thehandle 22 controlling the two locking rods or detents (see also FIG. 3)may be designed as a rotatable knob which, on turning through a certainangle, drives the two rods apart as is well known per se.

In FIGS. 16 and 17 we have shown a mounting plate 23 which overlies theupper edge of sheet 2 and (e.g. by riveting or with adhesive bonding)helps secure that sheet to the top of shell 1. In order to preventchafing of the sheet when the same is rolled up, we prefer to provide anoverhanging edge of plate 23 with a protective formation which may takethe form of a cylinder 24 of rubber or the like (or a row of suchcylinders) slipped over that edge. According to FIG. 18, a modifiedmounting plate 23' terminates in a curled edge portion 25 having thesame protective effect as rubber cylinder 24 of FIG. 17.

Naturally, features illustrated in front embodiments may be combinedwith one another to the extent of their compatibili ty.

Although, for the sake of clarity, the ends of the stays 9 have beenshown somewhat separated from the jamb 11 (FIG. 8), it will beunderstood that in actual construction the arrangement can be made socompact that, in this as in all other embodiments, the stays of theclosed door bear almost without spacing upon these jambs to rigidify thestructure. Thus, the jambs and stays will form a stress-resistingframework allowing our improved crates to be stacked, transported andotherwise handled in various positions without objectionable deformationof the shell or its contents.

We claim:

ll. A crate for transportin goods, comprising: a prismatic shell with ateast the ma or part of a side of the prism removed to form a generallyrectangular opening;

an at least partly pliable door secured to said shell adjacent one edgeof said opening, said door including a plurality of stays parallel tosaid one edge and flexible link means interconnecting said stays whileenabling same to be swung about said one edge into a withdrawn positionoutside said shell; and

retaining means along opposite edges of said opening transverse to saidone edge engageable with respective parts of said door for locking samein a position of closure obstructing said opening, with said staysbearing upon said opposite edges to stiffen said shell.

2. A crate as defined in claim 1 wherein said stays are transverselyspaced, said link means comprising a flexible sheet.

3. A crate as defined in claim 2 wherein said shell forms a pair ofjambs bounding said opening along said opposite edges, said retainingmeans being secured to said jambs.

4. A crate as defined in claim 3 wherein said sheet has edge portionsprojecting beyond the ends of said stays and partly overlying saidjambs, said retaining means being engageable with said edge portions.

5. A crate as defined in claim 4 wherein said retaining means comprisesa pair of clamping elements swingably secured to said jambs.

6. A crate as defined in claim 3 wherein said jambs are provided withoutwardly open recesses adapted to receive the extremities of respectivestays, said retaining means including a pair of locking elements movablysecured to said jambs for selectively blocking and unblockingsaidrecesses.

7. A crate as defined in claim 6 wherein said recesses formlongitudinally spaced notches along said jambs and said locking elementsare bars shiftable longitudinally of said jambs and provided withcutouts registering with said notches in an unblocking position.

8. A crate as defined in claim 6 wherein said locking elements are barsslidable generally transversely to said jambs toward each other into ablocking position.

9. A crate as defined in claim 2 wherein said door is further providedwith diagonal reinforcing straps.

10. A crate as defined in claim 9 wherein said straps are at leastpartly imbedded in said sheet.

H. A crate as'defined in claim 9 wherein said straps have first endsanchored to said shell in the region of said one edge and second endsanchored to a rigid portion of said door remote from said one edge, saidretaining means being engageable with said rigid portion for holdingsaid straps under tension.

12. A crate as defined in claim 2 wherein said door includes a rigidpanel hingedly secured to said shell at said one edge for obstructing anadjoining portion of said opening, said stays and sheet being disposedto obstruct the remainder of said opening.

113. A crate as defined in claim 12 wherein said panel is provided withbrace means for holding same in a swung-out position above said opening,said stays and sheet being supportable in a rolled-up state on theswung-out panel.

14. A crate as defined in claim 2 wherein said shell is provided with amounting plate above said opening engaging said sheet, said stays beinghorizontally disposed for allowing said sheet to be rolled up about aprojecting edge of said mounting plate.

15. A crate as defined in claim 14 wherein said projecting edge isprovided with a protective cylindrical formation bearing upon said sheetin its rolled-up position.

16. A crate as defined in claim it wherein said one edge lies at the topof said opening and said shell is provided with retractable supportingmeans for holding said door in its withdrawn position atop said shell.

1. A crate for transporting goods, comprising: a prismatic shell with atleast the major part of a side of the prism removed to form a generallyrectangular opening; an at least partly pliable door secured to saidshell adjacent one edge of said opening, said door including a pluralityof stays parallel to said one edge and flexible link meansinterconnecting said stays while enabling same to be swung about saidone edge into a withdrawn position outside said shell; and retainingmeans along opposite edges of said opening transverse to said one edgeengageable with respective parts of said door for locking same in aposition of closure obstructing said opening, with said stays bearingupon said opposite edges to stiffen said shell.
 2. A crate as defined inclaim 1 wherein said stays are transversely spaced, said link meanscomprising a flexible sheet.
 3. A crate as defined in claim 2 whereinsaid shell forms a pair of jambs bounding said opening along saidopposite edges, said retaining means being secured to said jambs.
 4. Acrate as defined in claim 3 wherein said sheet has edge portionsprojecting beyond the ends of said stays and partly overlying saidjambs, said retaining means being engageable with said edge portions. 5.A crate as defined in claim 4 wherein said retaining means comprises apair of clamping elements swingably secured to said jambs.
 6. A crate asdefined in claim 3 wherein said jambs are provided with outwardly openrecesses adapted to receive the extremities of respective stays, saidretaining means including a pair of locking elements movably secured tosaid jambs for selectively blocking and unblocking said recesses.
 7. Acrate as defined in claim 6 wherein said recesses form longitudinallyspaced notches along said jambs and said locking elements are barsshiftable longitudinally of said jambs and provided with cutoutsregistering with said notches in an unblocking position.
 8. A crate asdefined in claim 6 wherein said locking elements are bars slidablegenerally transversely to said jambs toward each other into a blockingposition.
 9. A crate as defined in claim 2 wherein said door is furtherprovided with diagonal reinforcing straps.
 10. A crate as defined inclaim 9 wherein said straps are at least partly imbedded in said sheet.11. A crate as defined in claim 9 wherein said straps have first endsanchored To said shell in the region of said one edge and second endsanchored to a rigid portion of said door remote from said one edge, saidretaining means being engageable with said rigid portion for holdingsaid straps under tension.
 12. A crate as defined in claim 2 whereinsaid door includes a rigid panel hingedly secured to said shell at saidone edge for obstructing an adjoining portion of said opening, saidstays and sheet being disposed to obstruct the remainder of saidopening.
 13. A crate as defined in claim 12 wherein said panel isprovided with brace means for holding same in a swung-out position abovesaid opening, said stays and sheet being supportable in a rolled-upstate on the swung-out panel.
 14. A crate as defined in claim 2 whereinsaid shell is provided with a mounting plate above said opening engagingsaid sheet, said stays being horizontally disposed for allowing saidsheet to be rolled up about a projecting edge of said mounting plate.15. A crate as defined in claim 14 wherein said projecting edge isprovided with a protective cylindrical formation bearing upon said sheetin its rolled-up position.
 16. A crate as defined in claim 1 whereinsaid one edge lies at the top of said opening and said shell is providedwith retractable supporting means for holding said door in its withdrawnposition atop said shell.